Curved vehicle door

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a curved vehicle door having a correspondingly curved windowpane and a correspondingly curved function carrier on which all of the add-on parts and door coverings are held and which can be used as protection for the occupant in the [lacuna] or in a militant assault, the function carrier being provided in each case along lines at least in two parallel planes with intersecting stiffening sections and advantageously being constructed in a sandwich-like manner from at least two shell bodies with longitudinal and transverse stiffening sections within a continuously closed frame, the outer shell body of which has at least two parallel grooves for accommodating a window lifting and lowering device which is matched to the curvature of the vehicle door.

[0001] The invention relates to an outwardly curved vehicle door, inparticular for motor vehicles having a correspondingly curved sidewindowpane, in accordance with the features of the precharacterizingclause of claim 1.

[0002] In the prior art, the central supporting element forming thefunction carrier of a passenger vehicle or truck door consists of adeep-drawn steel sheet having a material thickness of between 0.8 and1.2 mm. Although the steel sheet forms an encircling, closed edge, thesupporting steel sheet has to have relatively large apertures andcutouts for installation work on the door lock, on the windowpane, onthe lifting mechanism for the windowpane and on other add-on parts ofthe door. These necessary apertures and cutouts in the steel sheetreduce the stability of the door in the event of a crash and are thereason for relatively low strength values in all load situations.Moreover, the large cutouts in the region of the outer door coveringmean that water easily penetrates, which can be prevented only to anunsatisfactory extent by sealing films and cannot be preventedsufficiently reliably in the long term. In addition, the relativelylarge cutouts in the supporting steel sheet necessitate complex meansfor fastening the door add-on parts making relatively large tolerancesnecessary in regard to the securing of the door coverings. Theinstallation of conventional vehicle doors is particularly complex andtime-intensive, since all of the accessory parts have to be assembled byhand on the manufacturing assembly line and are difficult to gain accessto on the supporting steel sheet. In order largely to be able tocounteract the deficient stability of the steel sheet as the functioncarrier of the conventional vehicle doors, special reinforcements haveto be provided which protrude relatively far out of the plane of thesteel sheet, as a result of which the known vehicle doors constitute aparticularly bulky structural body which requires an unsatisfactorilylarge structural space between the door outer covering or the outer skinand the function carrier.

[0003] This relatively large structural space of the vehicle door, whichis curved outward to a greater or lesser extent and has a particularlylarge structural depth or strength, is necessitated by the curvature ofthe door and the correspondingly curved side windowpane which isconnected to a window lifting and lowering system which, in the priorart, comprises a scissors-type mechanism or a device having a controlcable, it being possible for these known window lifting and loweringsystems to be operated by motor. In this case, however, the knownsystems take up a necessarily uncurved section of space within thecurved door over the height of the complete window closing and openingpath, which means in many cases taking up up to 60 mm in spatial depthwhich could be saved if there were a window lifting and lowering systemwhich does not require an uncurved section of space within the curvedvehicle door with its correspondingly curved side window and at the sametime may also be provided with a drive by motor.

[0004] The object of the invention is to specify a curved vehicle doorof the type mentioned at the beginning which avoids the disadvantages ofthe known vehicle doors and in addition can provide the occupants withincreased safety in the event of a crash, but also in militant assaults.For this purpose, the function carrier of the vehicle door is to haveconsiderably improved stability and stiffness and is largely free fromapertures and cutouts, thus rendering additional reinforcement on thefunction carrier superfluous In addition, the penetration of water intothe interior of the door is to be permanently prevented withoutcomplicated sealing precautions, and the fastening and attachment offunctional and add-on parts to the function carrier is to be made a loteasier with a reduced expenditure of time and with a substantiallyreduced amount of structural space in comparison with the prior art, anuncurved section of space within the curved door for accommodating awindow lifting and lowering system for the correspondingly curved sidewindowpane being omitted. The intention is also for the vehicle door tobe preassembled essentially completely by robot, so that the finishedfunction carrier of the vehicle door together with add-on parts can besupplied to the assembly line.

[0005] The object is fulfilled according to the invention by thecharacterizing features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments accordingto the invention emerge from the features of the subclaims and from thefollowing description.

[0006] The invention is based on the concept of departing from theconventional solutions for a curved vehicle door with a deep-drawn steelsheet having relatively large apertures and cutouts as function carrierfor a side window lifting and lowering system and, in order to increasethe vehicle occupant safety and to facilitate the installation, ofspecifying a basically new, correspondingly curved function carrier forthe vehicle door consisting of steel and/or aluminum and/or plastic,said function carrier being provided in each case along curved, parallellines in at least two curved, parallel planes with stiffening sections.In this case, it is particularly advantageous if stiffening sections ofplanes lying directly adjacent form crossing points.

[0007] The invention is based on the further concept of substantiallyshortening the depth required for a curved vehicle door in comparisonwith the known curved vehicle doors by the use of a side window liftingand lowering system that is matched to the curvature of the vehicle doorand its correspondingly curved side window.

[0008] In this case, it may be particularly advantageous if thestiffening sections in the function carrier planes lying adjacent forman angle of 90° in the crossing points.

[0009] The stiffening sections may advantageously be formed byrib/groove profiles or the like. The stiffening sections along parallellines may also comprise rib/groove profiles which are interrupted atdistances. Instead of the rib/groove profiles along straight lines,humps and dents following one another in an alternating manner may alsobe suitable. In the case of plastic function carriers, the stiffeningsections may consist of strands of fiber, preferably strands of glassfiber, along parallel lines in the function carrier planes lyingadjacent. The parallel lines may run in a straight line or in a wavymanner along a straight line.

[0010] One development based on the abovementioned concept of theinvention is that the function carrier of the vehicle door, whichsupport is curved in accordance with the curvature of the door andwindow, is composed in a sandwich-like manner from at least two flat,curved shell bodies, each shell body having a washboard-like, ribbedprofile structure, which run at right angles to one another and comeinto contact with one another on both sides at inner crossing pointsand, at the same time, form locations of fixed connections which can bewelded, bonded, riveted or clinched to one another in order to obtain astable unit for the function carrier which is composed in asandwich-like manner from at least two curved shell bodies. In the caseof two shell bodies made from metal, spot welds at the crossing pointsmay be particularly advantageous without the invention being limited tosuch a type of connection.

[0011] The edges of the shell body bearing against one another in asandwich-like manner together advantageously form an encircling framewhich is self-contained and is sealed against the entry of water.

[0012] A function carrier according to the invention may consist ofcurved metal sheets or plastic plates, parts of the parallel stiffeningsections of the outer shell body being used as guides for side windowlifting and lowering systems according to the invention, but said guidesdo not necessitate a sandwich-type construction of the curved functioncarrier that particularly increases the safety in the event of a crashand so the side window lifting and lowering system according to theinvention may also be implemented on a curved, single-shell functioncarrier which is provided with a profile used in part for guiding theside window lifting and lowering device according to the invention.

[0013] The invention will furthermore be described in greater detailwith reference to an exemplary embodiment which is illustrated merelyschematically, without any restriction, in a drawing, in which:

[0014]FIG. 1 shows a function carrier according to the invention whichis composed of two curved shell bodies for a curved vehicle doortogether with an associated, correspondingly curved side windowpane andan outer covering (outer skin), in each case in perspectiveillustrations;

[0015]FIG. 2 shows a perspective interior view of the curved, outershell body according to FIG. 1;

[0016]FIG. 3 shows a perspective exterior view of the curved, outershell body according to FIG. 1;

[0017]FIG. 4 shows a perspective interior view of the curved, innershell body according to FIG. 1;

[0018]FIG. 5 shows a perspective exterior view of the curved, innershell body according to FIG. 1;

[0019]FIG. 6 shows a horizontal step through the outer shell;

[0020]FIG. 7 shows a vertical section through the inner and a shellbody;

[0021]FIG. 8 shows a horizontal section through a curved vehicle dooraccording to the invention with a correspondingly curved side window;

[0022]FIG. 9 shows a vertical section through the vehicle door accordingto FIG. 8;

[0023]FIG. 10 shows a vertical section through a motor-driven sidewindow lifting and lowering system according to the invention which ismatched to the curvature of the function carrier and to thecorrespondingly curved side window;

[0024]FIG. 11 shows a section A from FIG. 10 in an enlargedillustration;

[0025]FIG. 12 shows a horizontal section through a section of atwo-shell function carrier according to the invention with one of twoparallel guide rails for the side window lifting and lowering systemaccording to FIG. 10 within a groove of the outer profile of the outershell of the function carrier, and

[0026]FIG. 13 shows a structural unit of a side window lifting andlowering system according to the invention from FIGS. 10 to 12 inconjunction with a curved side pane and an upper covering of the curvedvehicle door in the region of the side windowpane.

[0027]FIG. 1 shows a function carrier 3 according to the invention whichis composed of two individual, flat, curved shell bodies 1 and 2, and anassociated, correspondingly curved windowpane 3′ and a door outercovering or outer skin 4, in each case in a perspective illustration,which together form a curved vehicle door 5 according to the invention,without its inner covering, for example for a passenger vehicle.

[0028] The two curved, individual shell bodies 1 and 2 consist, forexample, in each case of aluminum and/or steel sheet with a thickness ofin each case approximately 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm or of preferablyglass-fiber-reinforced plastic, the sheet or plastic being bondedtogether in a sandwich-like manner to form the function carrier body 3with a thickness of approximately 1 to 2 mm.

[0029] One of the two shell bodies 1 or 2 may also consist of afiber-reinforced plastic and the other of an aluminum or steel sheetwhich are connected fixedly to each other in a sandwich-like manner.

[0030] The two shell bodies 1 and 2 which are in each case curvedoutward, as seen from the vehicle, may consist of deep-drawn aluminum orsteel sheets. The inner shell body 2 has, in the central region, alongitudinal stiffening section consisting of parallel, horizontal ribs6, 7 and 8 which are connected to a frame 9, which is closed on allsides, of the shell body 2 having, at its front end, a surface sectionwhich is angled outward at right angles, is curved outward in thelongitudinal direction and has an opening 11 in order to accommodate thedoor lock (not shown here). The closed frame 9 of the inner shell body 2has, at its rear end, a projecting profile 12 for connection to thehinge (not shown here) of the door.

[0031] The frame 9 of the curved, inner shell body 2 has, in the bottomregion, a continuous longitudinal profile 9 which is matched to thestiffening section of the free longitudinal member 32 (not shown here)which is angled upward in an L-shaped manner, is at the bottom end (FIG.9) and on which the two-shell function carrier 3 of the vehicle door 5is supported.

[0032] The outer, curved shell body 1 has transverse stiffening sectionscomprising parallel ribs 13 to 22 which, for their part, are connectedto a frame 23 which is likewise closed on all sides and has, at itsfront end, a comparatively narrow connecting profile 24 and, at its rearend, a projecting profile 25 which is matched spatially to the profile12 at the rear end of the correspondingly curved, inner shell body 2 forstiffening purposes and which together form a reinforced connectingprofile for the door hinge (not shown here).

[0033] The transverse stiffening sections of the outer shell body 1 endat a distance from its lower bottom edge, thus forming at the bottom enda substantially wider, central frame section 23′ which is furtherstiffened on the inside and outside by respective vertical webs 23″ and23′″ (FIGS. 2 and 3) which are distributed uniformly in the longitudinaldirection over the bottom edge and lie opposite one another in pairs onthe inside and outside. On the inside and outside, the webs areconnected with widened sections to a widened, horizontally widenedbottom surface 23″″.

[0034] The two frames 9 and 23 of the two shell bodies are designed withrespect to one another in such a manner that their outer edge sectionsmutually overlap in order together to form a frame which is closed onall sides and is sealed against the entry of water for the two-partfunction carrier 3 of the vehicle door which is constructed in asandwich-like manner, is stabilized by longitudinal and transversestiffening sections and is curved in accordance with the curvature ofthe vehicle door.

[0035] The transverse stiffening sections of the outer shell body 1cause the formation on its outer side of in each case two paralleltransverse grooves (FIG. 8) in which the u-shaped window guiding rails26 and 27 engage with play for displacement of the curved windowpane 3′(FIG. 12), as is described more specifically below.

[0036] The curved, outer shell body 2 is profiled on the outside in theouter edge region in such a manner that the correspondingly curved outerskin 4 can be connected at a comparatively small distance from the innersurface region which is adjacent to the outer edge region. Theshaft-shaped installation space which is provided as a result forinsertion of the preassembled window lifting and lowering system, whichis curved in accordance with the curvature of the window, from aboveinto the installation space, which is likewise correspondingly curved,can advantageously be designed to be particularly narrow. More space isthen particularly advantageously available for the door inner covering,as is clarified in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 10 to13.

[0037]FIG. 2 shows the perspective interior view of the curved, outershell body 1 according to FIG. 1 which faces the perspective exteriorview of the shell body 1 in FIG. 3. The hinge-connecting profile 25 atthe rear end of the outer shell body 1 bears a profiled stiffeningsection 25′ for connection to the hinge (not shown here).

[0038] In contrast, FIG. 4 shows the perspective interior view of thecorrespondingly curved, inner shell body 2 which faces the perspectiveexterior view of the shell body 2 in FIG. 5.

[0039]FIGS. 2 and 3 and 4 and 5 show that the two shell bodies 1 and 2each have on the outside and inside intersecting parallel longitudinaland transverse stiffening sections which are designed, for example, asrib structures here. However, in principle, other stiffening sectionswhich act in an identical manner and form right angles at the crossingpoints are possible.

[0040]FIG. 1 illustrates the fact that the two shell bodies 1 and 2 areplaced on each other in a sandwich-like manner in order to form thetwo-part, curved function carrier 3. In this case, the outer, verticalstiffening sections and the inner, horizontal stiffening sections formcrossing points at which the mutually facing rib profiles on both sidescome into contact.

[0041] At all of the crossing points or at particularly selectedcrossing points, the two shell bodies 1 and 2 are welded to each other(preferably spot-welded) or are bonded or riveted or clinched in orderthereby to fixedly connect the two shell bodies 1 and 2 to each other toform the function carrier 3, which is of curved design corresponding tothe curved vehicle door and the side pane.

[0042]FIG. 6 shows a horizontal section through the outer shell body 1with a rib-shaped structure, and FIG. 7 shows a vertical section throughthe inner shell body 2, which likewise has a rib-shaped structure.

[0043]FIG. 8 shows a horizontal section through the outwardly granulatedvehicle door 5 according to the invention, the outer skin 4 (indicatedby chain-dotted lines), the window 3′ (indicated by chain-dotted lines)and the function carrier 3 which is constructed in a sandwich-likemanner from the outer and the inner shell bodies 1 and 2, an inner doorcovering 28 (indicated by chain-dotted lines) on the inner shell body 2being retained in an exemplary formation which is merely indicated inFIG. 8.

[0044] In FIG. 8, the door lock is referred to by 29 and is insertedinto the recess 11 on the front end surface of the inner shell body 2and is adjacent on the rear side to a profiled section of the outershell body 1. The door lock 29 is therefore used for additionallystiffening the two shell bodies 1 and 2 in the region of the front endsurface of the vehicle door 5.

[0045] The rear end of the door with the hinge fastening profiles 12 and25 and the profiled stiffening section 25′ on the shell bodies 1 and 2is screwed onto a hinge 31 in a conventional manner.

[0046]FIG. 9 shows a vertical section through the outwardly curvedvehicle door 5 according to the invention with the two shell bodies 1and 2, the correspondingly curved side window 3′ of the outer skin 4(indicated by broken lines) and the inner door covering 28. The L-shapedlongitudinal member at the bottom end of the vehicle door is referred toby 32, the stiffening section 33 of which longitudinal member engages atthe inner, upper end in the groove-shaped longitudinal profile 9′ on thebottom of the frame 9 of the shell body 2. A first sealing strip 34 isinserted into the free gap between the end of the stiffening section 33of the longitudinal member 32 and the groove-shaped longitudinal profile9′. A further sealing strip 35 is situated between the outer, downwardlybent away end 36 of the longitudinal member 32 and the outer skin 4,which is supported on its bent away end 36. Water can thus penetratefrom the outside at any time into the structural space 37 between theouter skin 4 and the outer shell body 1, but not into the region of thedoor covering 28 and not into the space between the two shell bodies 1and 2, which form an encircling tightly closed frame at their outeredges, it being possible for the shaft-shaped structural space 37 forthe insertion of the ready-assembled window lifting and lowering deviceto be designed in conjunction with the window and upper shaft covering(FIG. 13) to be particularly narrow in comparison with the prior art.The space 38, which is completely protected from moisture, between theinner shell body 2 and the inner door covering 28 may thereforeadvantageously also be of comparatively large configuration, whichresults in a substantial gain in space for the passenger compartment.

[0047] The inner door covering 28 has, at its upper end, an edge 39which engages over the upper end of the frame of the function carrier 3composed of the two shell bodies 1 and 2, thereby advantageously makinga fitting strip which is otherwise necessary in the prior art for thoinner door covering 28 superfluous.

[0048] The comparatively large free space 38 between the inner switchingbody 2 and the door covering 28 can advantageously be used as a storagespace, for example map pocket, etc. and/or to accommodateenergy-absorbing materials (for example, PUR) for a crash situation.

[0049] In the event of a crash, the vehicle door 5 according to theinvention with its double-shell function carrier 3 has particularly highstability. The function carrier 3 with its continuously closed edgeregion comprising the two spot-welded shell bodies which have deep-drawnlongitudinal and transverse stiffening sections has particularly highstrength values in all load situations and can easily be furtherstabilized if required by means of additional support profiles.

[0050] The double-shell function carrier which is closed at the edgesdoes not permit water to penetrate into the region of the inner doorcovering 28. If the window lifting motor is held, for example, on theinner side of the inner shell body 2, its drive shaft can easily besealed in a completely water-tight manner in the shaft 37.

[0051] The inner door covering can be fastened in a particularly simplemanner to the function carrier, for example to the upper edge thereof.

[0052] The installation of the add-on parts of the function carrierproves to be particularly simple. The lock, the window lifting andlowering system etc. can be preassembled completely by robot, so thatthe function carrier can be supplied together with the preassembledadd-on parts to the assembly line. The shaft-like structural space inthe vehicle door according to the invention between its outer skin andthe outer side of the function carrier 3 can advantageously be keptparticularly narrow, since an uncurved shaft section is no longerrequired for the window lifting and lowering operation.

[0053] This is only possible because the invention makes use of a windowlifting and lowering system which has a curved constructioncorresponding to the curvature of the vehicle door and its side pane, asis shown only by way of principle below in a schematic exemplaryembodiment with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. The curved structure of thewindow lifting and lowering system according to the invention that ismatched to the curved structure of the function carrier is shown invertical section in FIG. 10. Only the lower end of the curved windowpane3′ is illustrated here, said end engaging in a horizontal, u-shapedretaining rail 40 which is connected via a connecting part 41 to awindow lifting and lowering device 42

[0054] The window lifting and lowering device 42 comprises two toothedbelts 43, 44 which run via upper and lower deflection pulleys 45, 46 and47, 48 in the curved, parallel guide rails 26, 27 (FIG. 1) which are ata selected distance from each other and are inserted in parallel, outerprofile grooves 14 and 22 (FIG. 8), only the outer groove 14 of which isshown in FIG. 12, in horizontal section. The relatively wide distancebetween the grooves 14 and 22 for holding the guide rails according toFIG. 8 may also be selected to be substantially shorter, as FIG. 13shows.

[0055] Identical connecting parts 41 are present in each case on theu-shaped retaining rail 40 for holding the lower window edge 3′, saidconnecting parts being used to fixedly connect the rail 40 to theparallel toothed belts 43, 43. The parallel guide rails 43, 44 areconnected fixedly parallel to the retaining rail 40 by means of asecuring means 49, for example in the form of a plate.

[0056] The securing means 49 is used for fastening a driving motor 50 toa motor shaft 51 which bear a respective pinion 52 at its ends on bothsides for driving the two toothed belts, the pinions 52 lying in eachcase within the toothed belts, which are guided over the upper and lowerdeflection pulleys 45, 46 and 47, 48, and engaging in each case withtheir teeth in the opposite grooves of the toothed belts 43 and 44.

[0057] In order to lift and lower the curved windowpane in the retainingrail, the two toothed belts 43 and 44 are driven synchronously via thetwo pinions 52, the one pinion 52 of which is illustrated within atoothed belt section on an enlarged scale in FIG. 11 in comparison toFIG. 10. During the lifting and lowering of the windowpane 3′, thetoothed belts run in each case on the bottom of the guide rails whichhave rectangular cross sections. The two parallel guide rails 26 and 27are furthermore connected fixedly at their upper ends to a coveringframe 53 with a sealed slot for the windowpane, the covering frame beingused to cover the installation shaft 37 (FIG. 9) between the outer skin4 of the vehicle door 5 and the function carrier 3, which has two shellsin the example, in a sealed manner.

[0058] To install the window lifting and lowering device 42 according tothe invention, the two guide rails 26, 27 are already preassembledtogether with the integrated toothed belts and its upper and lowerdeflection pulleys 45, 46 and 47, 48, which are mounted rotatably in theguide rails, and are connected in the form of a structural unit to theunshaped retaining rail 40 of the windowpane 3′ via the connecting parts41. In addition, the upper ends of the guide rails 26, 27 are connectedfixedly to the covering frame 53, and a securing means 49 for the motor50 is mounted in a fixed manner between the guide rails 26, 27, the twopinions 52 of which securing means, which are driven by the motor,engaging in the parallel toothed belts 43, 44.

[0059] The entire preassembled structural unit comprising covering frame53, guide rails 26, 27 with the integrated toothed belts 43, 44 and thedeflection pulleys 45, 46 and 47, 48, the securing means for the motor50 and the retaining rail 40 for the windowpane 3′ is inserted as awhole from above into the installation shaft 37, the covering frame 53closing off the installation opening between the outer skin 4 of thevehicle door 5 and the function carrier 3, and the guide rails 26, 27coming to lie in the selected profiled grooves 14 and 22 on the outerside of the function carrier and being connected fixedly to them. Inthis case, the guide rails 26, 27 engage in each case with a sufficientamount of play in the profiled grooves 14, 22 prior to fastening takingplace, in order to be able to make an adjustment.

[0060] It is clear that the motor 50 can also be fitted on the innerside of the function carrier, and the motor drive shaft, which is guidedin a water-tight manner through the function carrier, synchronouslydrives the two pinions 52 via a gear mechanism (not illustrated) whichis supported by the securing means 49.

[0061] The invention is not restricted to the exemplary embodiment whichsuggests to the expert a multiplicity of modifications which act in anidentical manner and which all lie within the scope of the presentinvention.

[0062] The function carrier according to the invention which is curvedin accordance with the curved design of the vehicle door and the sidewindow may thus also consist of plastic and has intersecting fiberstructures in at least two parallel planes for stiffening purposes. Forthis purpose, it may also consist of at least two plastic shells whichbear against one another in a sandwich-like manner and are connectedfixedly to one another to form a unit, the parallel fiber reinforcementsin the one plastic shell running transversely to the parallel fiberreinforcement in the adjacent plastic shell.

[0063] In addition, the plastic shells in the abovementioned sense mayadditionally be stabilized by stiffening sections formingthree-dimensional profiles. In this case, the profiles on the outer sideof the door are designed in each case in such a manner that the windowlifting and lowering system can be integrated at least in part of theprofile, the window lifting and lowering system being matched preciselyin a space-saving manner to the curved structure of the functioncarrier.

1. A curved vehicle door having a correspondingly curved side windowpaneand a correspondingly curved function carrier on which all of the add-onparts and door coverings are held and which can be used as protectionfor the occupant in the event of a crash or in a militant assault,characterized in that the outside of the curved function carrier has atleast two parallel grooves running perpendicular with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the door for accommodating a window lifting andlowering device which is matched to the curvature.
 2. The vehicle dooras claimed in claim 1, characterized in that to protect the occupant thefunction carrier is provided in each case along parallel lines at leastin two parallel planes with stiffening sections which at least on theoutside form the parallel grooves.
 3. The vehicle door as claimed inclaim 2, characterized in that the function carrier is of sandwich-likeconstruction.
 4. The vehicle door as claimed in claim 2 or 3,characterized in that the stiffening sections on both sides in thefunction carrier planes come into contact in the crossing points.
 5. Thevehicle door as claimed in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that thestiffening sections form an angle of 90° in the crossing points.
 6. Thevehicle door as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the stiffeningsections lying adjacent in the function carrier planes comprise firstand second rib/groove profiles which run at right angles to one another,and two selected outer grooves at a predetermined distance from eachother accommodating the guide rails for the window lifting and loweringdevice.
 7. The vehicle door as claimed in one of the preceding claims,characterized in that the function carrier is composed in asandwich-like manner from at least two shell bodies, each shell bodyhaving a profile structure in the manner of a washboard and coming intocontact with one another on both sides at the inner crossing points,and, at the same time, forming locations of fixed connections, and theoutside of the outer shell body having the two parallel grooves foraccommodating the window lifting and lowering device.
 8. The vehicledoor as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the sandwich-likefunction carrier is welded, bonded, riveted or clinched at the crossingpoints of the profile structures of its shell bodies lying adjacent. 9.The vehicle door as claimed in one of the preceding claims,characterized in that the edges of the function carrier, which is ofsandwich-like construction, form a self-contained, water-tight frame.10. The vehicle parts as claimed in one of the preceding claims,characterized in that the multipart, sandwich-like function carriersconsist of metal sheets and/or plastic plates, and in that at leastparts of the stiffening sections which run perpendicular form the twoparallel grooves for accommodating the window lifting and loweringdevice.
 11. The vehicle door as claimed in claim 10, characterized inthat the function carrier comprises an outer, profiled shell body ofaluminum or steel sheet or a plastic plate and an inner, profiled shellbody of aluminum or steel sheet or a plastic plate, which are adjacentto one another in a sandwich-like manner, in that the shell bodies eachhave washboard-like profiles, those crossing points of the verticalprofile of the outer shell body and of the horizontal profile of theinner shell body which come into contact with one another beingconnected fixedly to one another, and in that the edges of the two shellbodies form a water-tight frame which is closed on all sides, parts ofthe outer, vertical profile forming the two parallel grooves foraccommodating the guide rails of the window lifting and lowering device.12. The vehicle door as claimed in claim 10 or 11, characterized in thatthe, front end surface of the vehicle door, which surface is formed bythe front edge sections of the inner, profiled shell body, has a recessfor the door lock unit.
 13. The vehicle door as claimed in claim 10 or11, characterized in that the two profiled shell bodies at their rearends in each case together form a projecting profile for connection tothe door hinge.
 14. The vehicle door as claimed in claim 11,characterized in that the outer, profiled shell body of the functioncarrier is, on the outside, the support of the door outer covering, andthe inner, profiled shell body of the function carrier is, on theinside, the support of the door inner covering, and in that the curvedspace between the door outer covering and the outer, profiled shell bodyis the installation space for the window lifting and lowering devicewhich is matched to the curvature and which can be inserted as apreassembled structural body from above into the installation space, theguide rails with the integrated window lifting and lowering deviceengaging in selected parallel grooves on the outer side of the outershell body.
 15. The vehicle door as claimed in claim 14, characterizedin that the free gap between the door outer covering and the outer,profiled shell body and/or the free gap between the door inner coveringand the inner, profiled shell body has a filling material which hasselected properties for protection of the occupant.
 16. The vehicle dooras claimed in claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the function carrierconsists of plastic which has intersecting fiber structures in at leasttwo parallel planes for stiffening purposes, and in that the outside ofthe function carrier has at least two parallel groove profiles foraccommodating the window lifting and lowering device.
 17. The vehicledoor as claimed in claim 16, characterized in that the plastic functioncarrier comprises at least two plastic shells which lie next to eachother in a sandwich-like manner and are connected fixedly to each otherto form a unit, the parallel fiber reinforcements in the one plasticshell running transversely with respect to the parallel fiberreinforcement in the adjacent plastic shell.
 18. The vehicle door asclaimed in one of the preceding claims 16 and 17, characterized in thatthe plastic shells have, at least on the outside, a profile structure,parts of which are guide profiles for at least two parallel grooveprofiles for accommodating the window lifting and lowering device. 19.The vehicle door as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that theoutside of the plastic function carrier, which is formed in asandwich-like manner, has a rib-shaped profile structure runningvertically, and the inside has a rib-shaped profile structure runninghorizontally.
 20. The vehicle door as claimed in one or more of thepreceding claims, characterized in that the window lifting and loweringdevice comprises at least two toothed belts or similar control cableswhich, to match them to the curvature of the vehicle door, are in eachcase guided via upper and lower deflection pulleys in guide rails whichare matched to the curvature of the function carrier, the outside ofwhich has matching grooves for accommodating the guide rails, pinionswhich are driven synchronously engaging in the toothed belts for theupward and/or downward movement of the window, and a retaining rail atthe lower end of the window being connected to the toothed belts for theupward and downward movement of the window.
 21. The vehicle door asclaimed in claim 20, characterized in that the guide rails with theintegrated toothed belts, the motor drive of the toothed belts via thepinions, and the retaining rail which is connected to the windowforming, in conjunction with the toothed belts and a covering for theinstallation shaft between the outer covering of the door and thefunction carrier, a structural unit for insertion into the installationshaft, the guide rails and the matching u-profiles engaging on the outerside of the function carrier.